Small Business Underwriting Zone Leader

Job Description

The Small Business Underwriting Leader-Central Zone plays a critical role in shaping and executing business strategy in collaboration with Product, Sales, and Operations leadership. This position leads the Western Zone Underwriting Team, driving profitable growth through disciplined underwriting, influence, and inspirational leadership.

• Leads Western Zone Underwriting leaders and underwriters fostering a high performing culture that empowers the team to identify and solve problems, embrace change, and pursue continuous skill and career development.
• Drives a disciplined underwriting culture by setting clear expectations, coaching to sound decision‑making, fostering collaboration between peers and Underwriting Practices, ensuring the execution of underwriting guidelines, authority, and compliance requirements and promoting best practice sharing across the team.
• Establishes, monitors, and drives performance and territory objectives—including quality, new written premium, policy count, retention (premium and count), responsiveness, and pricing utilization—to ensure consistent execution and achievement of business goals.
• Builds and sustains a collaborative partnership across Sales, Product, Underwriting and Operations to set strategic direction, monitor performance and market trends, and solve complex problems in support of territory objectives.
• Leads Small Business Underwriting initiatives that advance priorities and address complex, large‑scale challenges in support of the overall Small Business Strategy.
• Builds and maintains talent routines including talent reviews, coaching, development planning, and talent pipelines to attract, retain and enable team members to set and achieve goals.
• Manages the demand and capacity across the Western Zone to deliver a best‑in‑class experience for agents while consistently achieving our performance standards.
• Engages with professional industry groups and stays current on industry developments and regulatory changes to inform decision‑making and integrate into Small Business Underwriting.

• 10+ years of Commercial Underwriting experience and 3+ years of people management experience.
• Bachelor's degree in a related field and/or commensurate work experience.
• Master's degree in a related field is preferred.

Hybrid‑defined as working three or more days per week in the office if the employee's residence is within 50 miles of Westfield Center, OH; OR Remote‑if the employee resides more than 50 miles from Westfield Center, OH.

• Influence
• Inspirational Leadership
• Collaboration
• Develops talent
• Problem Solver
• Customer focus
• Effective Communication
• Ensures accountability
• Drives vision and purpose
• Critical Thinking
• Business insight
• Continuous learner
• Builds effective teams
• Manages complexity

• Business Development
• Performance Management
• Commercial Lines Underwriting
• Strategic Decision Making
• Statistical Analysis
• Underwriting Strategy
• Business Process Improvement
• Customer Relationship Management
• Regulatory Compliance

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, responsibilities, knowledge, etc. These may be subject to change and additional functions may be assigned as needed by management.

United States:
All applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

United Kingdom:
Westfield is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.